厦门
Xiamen
Xiamen is the gentlest city on the south-east coast: a walkable island of arcaded streets and seafront paths, with Gulangyu, a car-free island of colonial villas, five minutes away by ferry. Come for the pace, not a checklist.
At a glance
- Stay
- 2–3 days
- Best seasons
- Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
- Airports
- Rail or road access
- Region
- East China
China Unhurried editorial team · Owner-authored
Places to begin
Make the city tangible.
福建土楼
Fujian tulou
Hakka earthen roundhouses in the hills, three hours inland. Better with a night.
鼓浪屿
Gulangyu
The villa island: consulates, churches, piano museums and lanes with no traffic at all.
环岛路
Huandao Road
The coast road with a cycle path along the sea. Rent a bike and go as far as you like.
沙坡尾
Shapowei
The old fishing harbour, ringed with cafés and small galleries.
鼓浪屿历史国际社区
Kulangsu Historic International Settlement
Kulangsu is a car-free island settlement shaped by Xiamen's opening as a treaty port and by residents from southern Fujian, overseas Chinese communities and many foreign countries. More than individual villas, its World Heritage value lies in the street network, gardens, coastal setting and hybrid architecture—including the locally developed Amoy Deco style—that record cultural exchange from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century.
南普陀寺
Nanputuo Temple
A working Buddhist temple at the foot of Wulao Peak, next to the university. Free.
厦门园林植物园
Xiamen Botanical Garden
Xiamen Botanical Garden spreads across warm, hilly terrain around reservoirs and granite outcrops. Specialised collections include tropical, succulent and rainforest plants, but their distance from one another makes route planning essential. The garden functions as a scientific collection and urban ecological refuge, not only a setting for highly staged photographs.
胡里山炮台
Hulishan Fortress
A Qing coastal fort with a giant Krupp gun, on a headland at the start of the coast road.
集美学村
Jimei School Village
Jimei School Village grew from educational institutions founded by overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee. Campuses and public buildings combine southern Fujian roofs, arcades and modern structural ideas in the distinctive Jiageng style. The district is still used for education, so its value lies in an active civic landscape rather than a sealed architectural park.
Local snacks
Taste the city, one dish at a time.
These cards describe dishes, not restaurants. Images are added only after their license and attribution are verified.
Nutty, savoury, sweet-spicy and aromatic
Xiamen Satay Noodles
沙茶面
Wheat or alkaline noodles sit in a rich, mildly spicy shacha broth, with diners selecting seafood, tofu, meatballs, offal or vegetables. The sauce reflects southern Fujian and Southeast Asian trade connections.
Select every topping explicitly and ask about peanut, sesame, shellfish and offal allergens.
Briny, eggy, chewy and sweet-spicy
Xiamen Oyster Omelette
海蛎煎
Small oysters are bound with egg and sweet-potato starch, then pan-fried with greens until crisp at the edges and soft within. A sweet-spicy sauce commonly completes the dish.
Eat hot and choose a high-turnover vendor; shellfish and egg allergies are central to the dish.
Sweet, nutty and creamy-soft
Xiamen Peanut Soup
花生汤
Peeled peanuts are simmered until extremely soft in a sweet, milky-looking broth, creating a simple warm dessert often paired with fried dough or small pastries.
Peanut allergy risk is absolute; ask about sweetness and accompanying fried foods before ordering.
Cool, savoury, garlicky and tangy
Sea-worm Aspic
土笋冻
A collagen-rich marine peanut worm is simmered so its broth sets into a clear savoury jelly, served chilled with garlic, vinegar and chilli. The name's 'bamboo shoot' is figurative; the dish contains marine worms.
Understand the ingredient before ordering and choose refrigerated service from a hygienic, high-turnover vendor.
City essentials
The practical details, when you need them.
Places and local food come first. Open these notes for context, arrival and neighbourhood advice.
Overview+
ZHEJIANGJIANGXIGUANGDONGHONG KONGXiamen
The main island holds the old town, the university and a coastal road that loops the whole thing. Across a short strait sits Gulangyu, a former international settlement with no cars, no bikes, and several hundred villas in various states of elegant decay. Sleep on Gulangyu for a night if you can: the day-trippers leave on the last ferry and the lanes go quiet.
Back on the main island, Shapowei is the old fishing harbour turned café quarter, Zhongshan Road is the arcaded shopping street, and the university campus and Nanputuo Temple sit together at the south end.
It is a coastal city, so plan for rain in spring, typhoons in late summer, and the loveliest weather from October to December. The Hakka tulou roundhouses are three hours inland and make a good overnight.
Getting there+
**Gaoqi (XMN)** is on the main island, twenty minutes from the centre by taxi or metro line 1. High-speed trains from Fuzhou take about an hour, Shenzhen two and a half, Guangzhou four, Shanghai five to six. Most of them use **Xiamen North** on the mainland, a metro ride away; some use **Xiamen** station on the island.
**Rail tip.** Your passport is your ticket. Book on 12306 or [Trip.com](/go/trip?to=trains&from=city-rail), then go straight to the gate. See [Getting around](/guides/getting-around). The Trip.com link earns us a small commission at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).
**Stay online.** Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked on Chinese networks; a travel eSIM that roams gets around it. Install one before you fly — [Saily](/go/saily?from=city-esim) takes US$5 off a first plan with the code **CHINA**. See [Staying online](/guides/staying-online). The code earns us the same amount in Saily credits, at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).
Where to stay+
Gulangyu
鼓浪屿
Villa guesthouses on the car-free island. One night at least.
Book ahead; the island's guesthouses are small. Ferries stop late in the evening, so you are committed once you are there, which is the point.
atmospherequietarchitecture
Shapowei and the old town
沙坡尾·中山路
Harbour cafés, arcaded streets, the university next door.
The south-west corner of the main island. Everything is walkable, the ferry pier is close, and there are hotels of every size.
first visitcaféswalking
Zengcuo'an and the coast road
曾厝垵·环岛路
A fishing village turned guesthouse strip on the beach. Fun, not quiet.
Busy with snack stalls and hostels. Good for a night if you want the sea outside the window and do not mind noise.
beachyoung crowd
**Booking.** Compare hotels in Xiamen on [Trip.com](/go/trip?to=hotels&city=xiamen&from=city-stay), filtered to its China travel essentials list: English-speaking staff, foreign cards, guest rating 8 or higher. See [Where to stay](/guides/where-to-stay). Booking through this link earns us a small commission at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).
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